Joe Jackson’s 5 Biggest U.S. Pop Hits

When Joe Jackson burst onto the airwaves of U.S. rock stations in 1979, his spare, reggae-influenced sound fit right in with that of other new wave artists. Much like Sting, who as a member of The Police broke out just a few months earlier, Jackson would soon go on to show his musical versatility. Within a few years of his debut, he would make albums in the style of pop standards, swing, jazz, and Latin music.

Even in his early years, Jackson took plenty of risks, both artistically and commercially. With albums such as Beat Crazy and Joe Jackson’s Jumpin’ Jive, many listeners opted not to follow Jackson’s musical explorations, but he gained new fans with Night and Day and Body and Soul. While Jackson was a fairly steady presence on rock radio through the early ‘90s, the following five hits were the ones that had the biggest crossover impact.

5. “Happy Ending” from Body and Soul (No. 57 in 1984)

By the time that Jackson set out to record Body and Soul, he had already cranked out six albums in just over five years. Barely more than a year removed from his biggest commercial success—Night and Day—Jackson wanted to switch things up again. Body and Soul delved deeper into jazz than his previous albums, and it was recorded in an entirely different way. Jackson and his band recorded tracks live (minus the vocals) in the Grand Lodge Room of New York’s Masonic Hall. The live, bright sound that permeates “Happy Ending” is a product of that recording process.

“Happy Ending” is unique among Jackson’s hits in that it’s his only Billboard Hot 100 single performed as a duet, as he is accompanied by Elaine Caswell. While “Happy Ending” failed to register on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock and Adult Contemporary charts, it spent eight weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 57. It is also one of Jackson’s 10 most popular songs on Spotify with more than 10 million streams.

4. “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” from Look Sharp! (No. 21 in 1979)

This is the song that introduced Jackson to audiences in both the U.S. and the UK, and it still ranks as one of his top hits in both countries. The song’s message is obvious enough—Jackson is perplexed when he sees women he finds attractive dating unattractive men. However, his inspiration for writing the song didn’t come from watching couples stroll past his window, as the song implies. It came from hearing Dave Vanian uttering Is she really going out with him? as the opening line from The Damned’s 1976 single “New Rose.” Jackson’s character in the song gets worked up about this perceived injustice (‘Cause I’ve had my fill / Listen, you, take your hands from her head), though Jackson has insisted that he intended the lyrics to be tongue-in-cheek.

“Is She Really Going Out With Him?” failed to chart upon its initial October 1978 release, but it caught on after getting rereleased several months later. It debuted at No. 76 on the Hot 100 in June 1979 and rose to No. 21 during its 15-week stay.

3. “Breaking Us in Two” from Night and Day (No. 18 in 1982)

Night and Day was one of Jackson’s many stylistic departures. As with his previous album Joe Jackson’s Jumpin’ Jive, Night and Day does not feature any guitars, but the tunes are both mellower and poppier. “Breaking Us in Two,” as much as any song on the album, typifies this new direction. The song’s classic feel stood out on Top-40 radio as it was rising up the charts in the winter of 1983, getting played alongside typical ‘80s-sounding hits like Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf,” and Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” “Breaking Us in Two” helped to establish Jackson as a legitimate pop star, as it went to No. 18 on the Hot 100 without the benefit of much airplay on rock stations.

2. “You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)” from Body and Soul (No. 15 in 1984)

After leaving guitars off Day and Night, Jackson brought them back for Body and Soul. This was the first of six Jackson studio albums on which Vinnie Zummo plays guitar. For “You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want),” Zummo provides both the funky riff and smooth, jazzy solo. Graham Maby’s slap bass was another new element for a Jackson song. “You Can’t Get What You Want (TIll You Know What You Want)” spent 16 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 15, and it also reached the Top 15 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock (No. 12) and Adult Contemporary (No. 13) charts.

1. “Steppin’ Out” from Night and Day (No. 6 in 1982)

“Steppin’ Out” is unquestionably Jackson’s biggest hit, as it is his only song to reach the Top 10 of the Hot 100 (peaking at No. 6) and exceed 70 million streams on Spotify. Jackson played nearly all of the instruments on the uptempo track, including the vibraphone that gives the song its feathery-light feel. Drummer Larry Tolfree was the only other musician involved in the making of “Steppin’ Out.” Aside from “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” “Steppin’ Out” is Jackson’s most-covered song, with Hugh Masekela, Stanley Jordan, and Trevor Horn (featuring Seal) among the artists to record their own version of the hit.

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